Balrog
Master of Arts
Each time I tested, I got feedback from the International Testing Panel along the lines of "we're seeing improvement, but continue to work on this and that, etc." Eventually, I pulled it all together and promoted.
Failing a belt test
- Thread starter Kenpoguy123
- Start date
Balrog
Master of Arts
ATA changed a while back to a scoring system where it is possible to promote even though you don't get your board breaks. A traditional testing is considered forms/sparring/boards. We can substitute weapons for any of those elements and the weapons form is scored with the same max value as the element it was substituted for (forms=5, sparring=3, boards=2). We can have a max score of 10, and at my rank, we need a minimum of 8 to promote. So if I totally nail my forms and my sparring and then blow my breaks, I still have the 8 points that I need.
I don't think it is possible for someone to fail a belt test at my school. My instructor has the philosophy that the test begins once the belt is given. If you are invited to testing that basically means you are invited to a hard workout and then are rewarded your belt. I like and dislike this method, mainly because I feel that if I fail something such as board breaking and still get awarded the belt. Then I will feel like I let everyone, especially myself, down, and shouldn't be promoted for that reason.
Huh. I can understand this and like this method for the most part, but I thought TKD, or at least kukkiwon, had strict rules about needing to pass board breaking to get awarded a belt. I personally find it ridiculous that you need to break an X inch board to advance, but thought that was how it worked..am I wrong?
This makes a lot of sense. It's interesting having an international panel...I can see both pros and cons so I have no idea if I like this idea. Congratulations on the eventual promotion though!
My school is not affiliated with the KKW, my instructor is a former International Taekwon-do Alliance Instructor. He left that organization to start his own independent school. He doesn't think that breaking should determine whether someone passes or fails.
I actually find that to be amazing. I have my own issues with TKD, but one of the major ones is their arbitrary test requirements. Since breaking doesn't really have much to do with ones abilities, I never understood why it would be required.
Kenpoguy123
Purple Belt
That's good I've always hated that idea that even If you do everything perfect and you can't break a piece of wood then you don't get your belt that's stupid. Example of this is actually in the movie best of the best 2 the kid of one of the main characters is testing for his black belt and does everything really well, his forms, his fighting but he can't break one board and he fails. The movie wasnt going against the art for that but it was showing what it was and one of the instructors in that movie said to the character if you don't break you don't pass which honestly to me is ridiculous board breaking is a demonstration tactic to impress people with no idea about fighting there's no real application to it. I understand to show power but you can do that on the pads
From what he has said in the past I believe he just simply thinks that board breaking is more important for a demo than for testing. We have been practicing board breaking the last week and the first day I was really struggling. We "have" to break four boards 2 with hand strikes 2 with feet strikes. I could only break 1 with knife hand strike. I was so disappointed that my instructor literally just told me not to worry about it, he would go get a rebreakable board for me to break if need be. Honestly, I saw that as taking the easy way out and wasn't too fond of the idea.
So I came on here and asked for some advice on breaking. After reading dozens of responses, during our next class which was last Saturday I blasted through all 4 wooden boards with minimal struggle. I feel more confident now that I can do it, but if for whatever reason I have some type of mental block and can't break for my testing this Saturday, it won't be a determining factor. I will just have to live with knowing that I couldn't break the board when I needed to.
JR 137
Grandmaster
IMO rank is a personal thing. I know there has to be a standard, but what is it exactly? I've trained with people who to the casual observer didn't appear to be worthy of their rank, but once you got to know them, that perception changed.
There was a woman who trained at my previous dojo. She was a 3rd dan. She technically could do everything from the sense that she had stuff like kata and kihon memorized. It looked like she was just walking through all the solo stuff. Within her physical limitations (she had some pretty bad arthritis in her knees which seriously limited some of her stances and mobility), she did everything correctly, but there was no speed or power behind it; it looked like she'd just physically memorized the movements and was at the stage where she's getting ready to speed it up and add power. She was proficient in sparring, but nothing noteworthy by any stretch of the imagination. If you'd walk in and watch class, you'd think she bought her rank and nothing more.
She was always the first one in and the last one out. She'd offer to help anyone and everyone at any time (not in a know it all way) and loved it. She had very good insight and tips to make things better. Thinking more about it, she was practically a walking encyclopedia up to her rank, from a mental standpoint.
She always gave it her all, always had a smile on her face while doing everything, and never made excuses. She taught a majority of the kids classes and had a way of getting the best out of them.
IMO she put more into earning those three stripes on her black belt than anyone else in the dojo. Watching her perform wasn't pretty, but she did it to the best of her ability.
If doing the best someone can honestly do combined with all the other stuff she did isn't enough, then what is? At the end of the day, it's only stripes on a belt. The only people who didn't think she was worthy of her rank were the people who didn't know anything about her. This be totally honest, if all I saw was her on promotion day performing the way she does, I wouldn't pass her. And I'd most likely lose a very good student and mentor for other students as a result.
Rank is a personal thing.
There was a woman who trained at my previous dojo. She was a 3rd dan. She technically could do everything from the sense that she had stuff like kata and kihon memorized. It looked like she was just walking through all the solo stuff. Within her physical limitations (she had some pretty bad arthritis in her knees which seriously limited some of her stances and mobility), she did everything correctly, but there was no speed or power behind it; it looked like she'd just physically memorized the movements and was at the stage where she's getting ready to speed it up and add power. She was proficient in sparring, but nothing noteworthy by any stretch of the imagination. If you'd walk in and watch class, you'd think she bought her rank and nothing more.
She was always the first one in and the last one out. She'd offer to help anyone and everyone at any time (not in a know it all way) and loved it. She had very good insight and tips to make things better. Thinking more about it, she was practically a walking encyclopedia up to her rank, from a mental standpoint.
She always gave it her all, always had a smile on her face while doing everything, and never made excuses. She taught a majority of the kids classes and had a way of getting the best out of them.
IMO she put more into earning those three stripes on her black belt than anyone else in the dojo. Watching her perform wasn't pretty, but she did it to the best of her ability.
If doing the best someone can honestly do combined with all the other stuff she did isn't enough, then what is? At the end of the day, it's only stripes on a belt. The only people who didn't think she was worthy of her rank were the people who didn't know anything about her. This be totally honest, if all I saw was her on promotion day performing the way she does, I wouldn't pass her. And I'd most likely lose a very good student and mentor for other students as a result.
Rank is a personal thing.
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